The job of a computer systems analyst or test engineer commonly includes running performance tests to monitor the performance of one or more applications on a computer system. Presently, when running performance tests against an application, it is necessary to measure and monitor multiple outputs. For example, when monitoring a messaging application, the outputs that require monitoring may include, but are not limited to, message throughput rate, memory utilization, CPU utilization, disk utilization, and java heap allocations.
Typically, the monitored outputs have been recorded and viewed in visual (e.g. textual or graphical) form on a computer screen. When monitoring a performance test in real-time it is often difficult to view the results from all of these outputs at once. One reason for this is because different tools, utilities, or applications track each of the outputs, and therefore, the data may be spread across several windows and/or screens. Furthermore, viewing and analyzing the data in real-time requires dedicated attention and screen usage. As a result, the longer a test runs the easier it is to miss an important event. For example, if the message throughput rate declines due to an increase in memory usage, the analyst may notice the change in message throughput rate but not the increase in memory usage unless both windows have his or her full attention. Thus, it becomes apparent that visual monitoring requires 100% cognitive focus. This is inefficient when changes in the state of the performance of an application must be monitored over an extended period of time.
Currently, “dashboard” performance monitoring applications are available that may alert a user to a change by simply sounding an alarm. With these applications, the user must actively switch back to using the monitoring application in order to identify what has changed, and to what extent. Thus, with these “dashboard” monitoring type applications, the user may have missed key points by the time he or she has switched back to the monitoring application. As a result, such monitoring type applications are error prone and unreliable.
Therefore, there is a need for a system and method for testing the performance of one or more applications that enables monitoring to be performed by means other than with a visual display.